Medicine in Mind, Healing at Heart: Big Data and Its Limits in Compassionate Care

In 2020, as a 24-year-old MD PhD student studying cardiovascular population health, I suffered non-ST elevated myocardial infarction while playing basketball. It was confirmed the cause familial hypercholesterolemia leading to 95%+ occlusions of both left anterior descending and circumflex arteries. The following reflective essay describes my experience patient grappling with his own mortality how those experiences have shaped now view purpose future physician. this is encourage all physicians in training practice reflection allow themselves fully pain suffering patients for whom they care, even amidst times personal uncertainty.